Respond, don’t react

We expect things to be a certain way on past experiences, what we know, and what we have been told, and what has been handed down to us about situations, rituals, rules and cultures. Assumptions are not always bad but they are never to be trusted, too many times they lead to destruction... (It was assumed that the meat in the fridge in the Dadri tragedy, was beef)

Respond don’t react. You cannot control the rain. The rain is not in your domain but you can control you response to the rain, you can smile and welcome the rain or you can curse the rain and spoil your day.

Its all about emotions and emotions are not caused by situations or external environment they are caused by our beliefs about situations and events. 

Responding rather than reacting helps us live freely and in greater harmony with our true identity (a good human being) in every situation. You rightly said this fight is against the ideology that provokes hatred and enmity among communities that needs to be corrected the language has to be mature and responsible this is responding. What if someone ate beef? What if someone returned an award? Resorting to violence and creating disharmony over these issues is not responding but reacting and thus we get ourselves disconnected from ones higher self, a spiritual being on a human journey.

Paul Coutinho speaks about the P.Q.R. formula: Pause, Question and Respond, understand the issue the situation and respond with peace, anon violent attitude, walking the road of our great leaders Mahatma Gandhi, to mention. To quote Abdul Kalam “India has a message for the world that religion and life could be transformed into a mighty spiritual force.

The more we reflect and respond the more the shadows will give way to light.. Diwali is nearing and with Tagore we dare to say “In the dance of your festival of lights let me place my own little Lamp, the Lamp of a compassionate joyful and responsible attitude that does not hurt others or us.

It is said, ‘anger is quieted by a gentle word just as fire is quenched by water (Jean Pierre Camus) Jonathan Pinto  peoples edit Herald 3rd Nov expresses in a very forceful way about the right fear he has, and its true ,he says ‘’I fear less for the minorities but more for the idea of India that the constitutional fathers sought to create

I end with an invitation that we be people of light. Soon we will be will be celebrating Diwali the festival of lights. (Hopefully with less crackers and think of our earth our home! with gentleness). Let us also be people with gentle words, let it be the oil in the Lamp of Life. Be light, dispel all darkness and the doom of fear that is in the air. Abdul Kalam says ‘If India develops in spirituality of tolerance it will certainly become a LIGHT HOUSE for the world.

(The author is from Presentation Convent, Mangor)